Karl Marx was a philosopher and political economist who adapted classical economic theory to critique capitalism. He argued that markets alienate individuals from their true selves, and that capitalists extract surplus value from human labor. His ideas have inspired many to advocate for revolutionary political change aimed at upsetting capitalism and reducing the gap in wealth dividing the rich from the poor. His writings include Das Capital (1867), Economic and Philosophical Manuscripts of 1844 (1932), and Manifesto of the Communist Party (with Friedrich Engels) (1848).
Quotes included are two from Capital (one from vol. 3, not that good and one from vol. 1, OK), one from the Manifesto and another from the Contribution (which of course I like :).
"...and another from the Contribution (which of course I like :)."
ReplyDeleteyou mean the Preface, right?
Assuming so, here's a huge question. What do you make of the fact that, in the theory of history sketched out therein, there is no mention of class? (Assuming I'm thinking of the right piece)
reducing is funny. but so is upsetting.
ReplyDeletere the recent wall street rhetoric about Obama, it looks like they are fairly upset. guess he is a marxist after all!
Mark: I meant the Contribution to the Critique of Political Economy, but this is indeed from the Preface. Anyway. I'm not a Marx scholar and can't answer your question -- there is another blog for it though :)
ReplyDeleteJoe: what happens when the capitalist economy upsets me? Is Marxism reflexive, transitive, and total?
You have an AEA economists calender?
ReplyDelete